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Harbisgirl
New Bee
Joined: 21 Apr 2015
Posts: 1
Location: El Dorado County, CA USA
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 Posted: Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:59 pm Post subject: Installed bees in my TBH....now what? |
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Hello,
I am new to beekeeping and top bar hives. I've done alot of reading and watching youtube videos but I'm not sure what to do next. I installed 2 bee packages 10 days ago and they seem to be doing very well. I have 2 questions.
1) How long exactly should I be feeding them syrup? They are taking almost a whole quart per day! They are building alot of comb so I'm sure they need it but I'm not sure when I should stop feeding them. I'm in CA so the weather is very nice and spring is in full force.
2) When I installed the hives I gave them 8 bars, the follower board is #9. When do I expand their living area or completely remove the follower board? |
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catchercradle
Golden Bee
Joined: 31 May 2010
Posts: 1551
Location: Cambridge, UK
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| Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2015 10:21 am Post subject: |
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If they have lots to forage on, I would stop feeding when they have taken everything in the current batch. (They may not have lots despite spring being in full force - often when they have access to lots of nectar they ignore the sugar syrup. Are they bringing in lots of pollen?
As to expanding, I tend to move the follower when they have only one or two empty bars left but only increase it by one or two at a time. |
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Quality Top Bar Hives by Andrew Vidler
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Conserving wild bees
Research suggests that bumble bee boxes have a very low success rate in actually attracting bees into them. We find that if you create an environment where first of all you can attract mice inside, such as a pile of stones, a drystone wall, paving slabs with intentionally made cavities underneath, this will increase the success rate.
Most bumble bee species need a dry space about the size a football, with a narrow entrance tunnel approximately 2cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Most species nest underground along the base of a linear feature such as a hedge or wall. Sites need to be sheltered and out of direct sunlight.
There is a spectacular display of wild bee hotels here
More about bumblebees and solitary bees here
Information about the Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum)
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Barefoot Beekeeper Podcast
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4th Edition paperback now available from Lulu.com
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